FIFA World Cup 2018: Did Cristiano Ronaldo take a dig at Lionel Messi? Twitter reacts
Ronaldo and Messi have been soccer's top players for the past decade and rivals in the Spanish league.
Sochi: Cristiano Ronaldo became the fourth player to score in four World Cups and stroked his chin as he ran in celebration. The apparent message? I'm the GOAT, not Lionel Messi.
GOAT is the acronym for "greatest of all time," and Adidas is running an advertisement featuring Messi with a real goat.
Ronaldo and Messi have been soccer's top players for the past decade and rivals in the Spanish league.
Ronaldo completed his sixth international hat trick when he scored on a free kick in the 88th minute, giving Portugal a 3-3 tie with Spain on Friday night. He entered with three career World Cup goals and doubled his total.
Ronaldo drew a penalty kick from Nacho Fernandez and converted in the fourth minute to put Portugal ahead. He ran to a corner flag, leapt and broke into the chin-stroke.
While the debate of the greatest ever player will continue even after the 2018 FIFA World Cup, fans were quite sure that Ronaldo’s chin-stroking celebration was an indirect aim at his longtime foe, Messi.
Ronaldo tryna tell Messi who's the goat with that celebration?
— Bhushan 부샨 (@ithinkmfallin) June 15, 2018
Ronaldo tried to do a GOAT celebration.
— • (@MESSI0o) June 16, 2018
You never say you're the GOAT. People decide for you, not you. pic.twitter.com/4dKgpes4Dn
Ronaldo’s chin celebration is basically saying “Messi goat?...not by the hairs on my chinny, chin, chin”
— Stretford Post (@StretfordPost) June 16, 2018
Hahaha. Did Ronaldo really throw shade on Messi with that chin-stroke celebration???? Whattey guy! 😄😄😄 #cr7 #por #WorldCup #goatðŸ pic.twitter.com/rKnuTMLHR9
— /A\ (@ThatRedDeviL) June 16, 2018
Did y’all see Ronaldo’s celebration for his first goal?
— Xrs (@imdatcris) June 15, 2018
Surely that’s a response to Messi’s goat ad.
Hahahah tell me Ronaldo didn’t just do the goat celebration???? He grabbed his chin almost scratching it like a goats beard ðŸðŸðŸðŸðŸðŸðŸðŸ
— Joey (@JoeyHolmes94) June 15, 2018
Ronaldo’s celebration is him calling himself the GOAT let’s goooooo
— Jules (@JuliusCzar_) June 15, 2018
The GOAT celebration from Ronaldo might be my favourite 😂 ðŸ
— Fadi Hassan (@DrFadiHassan) June 15, 2018
That Goat reference right there at the celebration!#Ronaldo #WorldCup #PORESP
— Altamash Ahmed (@AltamashAhmed10) June 15, 2018
RONALDO WITH THE GOAT CELEBRATION
— bobby (@_LEJJ) June 15, 2018
Love the Goat celebration by Ronaldo. Was he calling out Messi? #WorldCup #PORvESP
— Jason (@JayBeck5) June 15, 2018
Cristiano Ronaldo with a #GOAT celebration #PORESP
— CoreLinz (@CoreLinz) June 15, 2018
Ronaldo broke a 1-1 tie in the 44th minute with his 83rd international goal and fifth in World Cup play, then raised his international goals total to 84 with the free kick.
Ronaldo helped Portugal win the 2016 European Championship and has led Real Madrid to the last three Champions League titles. The 33-year-old joined Brazil's Pele (1958-70), West Germany's Uwe Seeler (1958-70) and Germany's Miroslav Klose (2002-14) as the only players to score in four World Cups.
Messi, who turns 31 on June 24, has 64 goals for Argentina and was a key to Barcelona's Champions League titles in 2009, 2011 and 2015. His World Cup opens Saturday against Iceland.
Each player has won the FIFA Player of the Year Award five times: Messi from 2009-12 and in 2015, and Ronaldo in 2008, 2013-14 and 2016-17.